Marketing and Sponsorship

Deutsche Bank and the PGA Tour have agreed in principle to a "four-year contract extension that, barring any setbacks, will keep the German bank as title sponsor of the Deutsche Bank Championship through 2016," according to Michael Whitmer of the BOSTON GLOBE. The bank's current contract was "set to expire after this year's tournament." A source said that Deutsche Bank already has "signed off on extending the sponsorship." The source added that an official announcement is "ready to be made ... subject to Deutsche Bank's tournament partners -- EMC and the Tiger Woods Foundation, which has been the primary charitable beneficiary -- coming to similar decisions." Whitmer notes Deutsche Bank has sponsored the Boston-area tournament since '03, and of the 46 PGA Tour tournaments this year, just seven "have longer relationships between event and corporate sponsor" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/30). The event has served as the second event in the FedExCup Playoffs since '07 (THE DAILY).

The latest trend inside the Yankees clubhouse “is having personalized workout shirts -- unique, generally not-for-sale gear designed by shoe companies, given to top talent” like RF Nick Swisher, SS Derek Jeter and 2B Robinson Cano, according to Daniel Barbarisi of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. The shirts have “a specially designed logo on the front, usually adapted from the player's shoe line.” Jeter's displays “his name inside a shield, like a smaller version of Superman's distinctive ‘S,’" whereas Cano's “features the letters ‘RC’ in script.” Swisher's New Balance shirt features the words "Nicky Swish" across the front. In the clubhouse, the personalized shirt “has become a status symbol.” If you have the shirt, it “means you likely have a shoe deal big enough to have your own logo,” and you “have a name or a nickname big enough to be known right away.” A Nike spokesperson said that the company has “done personalization in various sports for about five years." Nike, New Balance and other companies "represent hundreds of baseball players,” but the personalized shirt “remains a relatively rare phenomenon in baseball.” Jeter has a deal with Jordan Brand, which "worked with him to design the shield logo." When Jeter “wanted new workout gear several years ago, he liked the Nike workout shirts -- and asked them to put the logo from his shoe brand onto the shirts.” New Balance Sports Marketing GM Marc Cavanaugh said that Swisher's shirt came out of efforts “to create a custom shirt line for fellow client [Red Sox 2B] Dustin Pedroia to wear, sell and use in charitable ventures.” New Balance is now designing shirts for Yankees CF Curtis Granderson, though Granderson said that he is “more likely to give them away for his charity, Grand Kids, than wear them daily like his peers” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/30).

Adidas on Friday introduced the “much-awaited alternate uniform design” for the Univ. of Nebraska football team, which the team will wear on Sept. 29 “in a home game against Wisconsin,” according to Sam McKewon of the OMAHA WORLD-HERALD. Wisconsin this week will also “unveil its own alternate uniforms for the game.” adidas has “dubbed the game its first ‘Unrivaled Game,’” and given it the theme: “The Quick and The Red.” NU’s look features a “black helmet and facemask with a red ‘N’ and single red helmet stripe.” The uniform also features a “techfit” red jersey “with a giant black ‘N' on the front, a small black number on the upper left chest, two black stripes on the shoulder pads and a large number on the back.” In addition, the uniform features “red pants with two black stripes,” red and black socks and black shoes. McKewon noted it is “similar in design to a ‘throwback’ uniform Michigan wore for last year's win against Notre Dame, but much bolder in its color palette: a sea of red topped with a black helmet.” NU football coach Bo Pelini said the uniforms will be a “good recruiting tool.” Pelini: “There's gonna be people who love it and people who hate it, especially here. You know, ‘Don't mess with the uniforms.' That's why I wanted no part in the decision. I didn't want to touch it ... it'll be an interesting reaction” (OMAHA.com, 7/27). In Nebraska, Brian Christopherson reported NU’s football program had “planned on unveiling its alternate uniform design only after showing it first to players" this week. But the revelation “came early when a video leaked from an adidas account on Youtube on Friday morning showed the uniforms” (JOURNALSTAR.com, 7/27).